Jerykk wrote on Mar 3, 2013, 18:32:It seems like you guys haven't read any of the reviews yet. As expected, the reviews confirm that the platforming and puzzle-solving elements have been greatly simplified and are no longer the focus of the game. Combat is now the focus, as is the case for any game that's trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Personally, I would have gone the opposite route and removed the combat entirely. Nobody ever played TR for the combat. Nobody. However, they aren't trying to appeal to fans of the series. They're trying to appeal to people who never liked the series in the first place, hence the shift in focus. These are the people giving the game the highest scores.

TR may still be a good game but a good Tomb Raider game? Not so much.

Out of curiousity, what was the last great Tomb Raider game, and why?

I get the impression that if they'd kept making more of the same there'd be a big collective "meh" going around, but instead there's people whining that it's different than a series practically everyone was bored with (but who are now suddenly huge fans of it). The combat was a fairly significant part of the other TR games, too, and I disagree that people played them just because they were really fans of pushing blocks about.

I don't think making the game into Portal minus a portal gun and sci-fi elements would have made for something worth playing. Given that current technology allows for nothing much newer than align the blocks, re-order the runes, direct the ray of light, or raise/lower the water puzzles, that doesn't even sound fun. When was the last time you saw a really original puzzle in a video game other than Portal and what its gun allows, and why would you want an entire game made out of them?

The last great TR was Anniversary, though Underworld was pretty good too. They both had some really great level design and puzzles. Lots of huge, complex rooms where you had to figure out where to go, how to get there and then have the skill to actually pull it off. The greater the difficulty, the more interesting the challenge. Overcoming these challenges required both intelligence and dexterity and provided a great sense of accomplishment. That is the core appeal of the franchise and why millions of fans enjoyed it. Said fans would be happy about a new TR that improves and expands upon on the core strengths of the series, as all sequels or reboots should do. Taking away what fans loved about the series is the exact opposite of what they should do.

Out of curiosity, what was the last TR you played? What was the last TR you enjoyed? Do you even like puzzle-platformers aside from Portal?

I don't think making the game into Portal minus a portal gun and sci-fi elements would have made for something worth playing.

Do you think Portal 3 would be great if they significantly reduced the amount of puzzles and platforming and put a far greater emphasis on shooting dudes? If not, you should understand why TR fans take issue with the new game. If you still don't understand, imagine that a sequel to your favorite game is released. Now imagine that the sequel removes and/or dumbs down everything you enjoyed about the first game.

Also, for what it's worth, Underworld sold over a million units, so obviously there are still people who enjoy the traditional TR formula.

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